Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to continue monitoring the recent complex situation in the country and prepare plans for safeguarding and supporting Vietnamese citizens there when necessary.

In its notice released on Saturday about safeguarding Vietnamese citizens in Russia, the ministry warned that the city of Rostov-on-Don and some other southern regions of Russia have experienced complicated developments in terms of security and order over the past days.

The ministry has therefore ordered the embassy and representative agencies of Vietnam in Russia to keep a close watch on the situation and draw up plans for citizen protection and support, especially for those in the said areas.

The ministry recommends that Vietnamese communities in Russia’s southern cities and Moscow strictly comply with the host country’s laws as well as instructions from local authorities.

Vietnamese citizens should stay at home, avoiding mass gatherings or long trips within the territory of Russia.

Evacuation plans should be prepared in case of increased tensions, the ministry advised.

Those who plan to visit the cities of Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov in the near future should carefully consider travel safety and should not take any trips amid complicated developments unless absolutely necessary.

In case of emergency or for immediate assistance, Vietnamese citizens should contact the Vietnamese representative agencies in Russia and local Vietnamese associations, the ministry recommended.

The ministry also announced the embassy’s citizen protection hotline at +79 166821617 and the citizen protection switchboard at +84 981848484.

The authorities of the Lipetsk region of Russia have recently asked people to stay at home for security reasons.

“In order to ensure law and order as well as the safety of citizens of the Lipetsk region, the regional government recommends that people should not leave their homes unless in emergency and should restrict travel by personal or public transport means,” the regional authorities said in a statement on social media.

The government of Russia’s Rostov region has reported that all local hospitals and social facilities continue to operate normally.

Rostov governor Vasily Golubev has announced the cancelation of major events slated in Rostov-on-Don for this weekend and urged people to limit travel to the city center.

Rostov-on-Don, the capital of Rostov bordering eastern Ukraine, has been attracting attention because of complex developments involving the Russian group of Wagner mercenaries.

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